D&D General Why Do You Prefer a Medieval Milieu For D&D? +

[Paul Farquhar]

Looking at other technology, I once fell deeply down the rabbit hole that the lateen sail and a full keel hull both existed and could have come together as early as 700 or so. Which has rather mind-blowing implications for sailing vessels.

I'd read that alternative history novel.

Sinbad meets the Vikings?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Which Crusade?

Any. They all involved going to someone else's country and stealing their stuff.

 

[Reynard]

Any. They all involved going to someone else's country and stealing their stuff.

That is a gross oversimplification of a complex series of wars and migrations undertaken over centuries for different purposes by different people.

I'm not saying that the Crusades did not involve colonization. They clearly did. But it's more nuanced than that.

I mean, at least one of them involved taking back land that had been conquered and stolen a couple centuries earlier.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I mean, at least one of them involved taking back land that had been conquered and stolen a couple centuries earlier.

That's still colonialism, just with the other side as the colonisers.

 

[mamba]

That's still colonialism, just with the other side as the colonisers.

at that point it would no longer be colonialism by the crusaders however, which the below absolutely sounds like

What do you call the Crusades, if not colonialism?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

at that point it would no longer be colonialism by the crusaders however, which the below absolutely sounds like

Not my intended meaning. Both Christian and Islamic forces were imperial powers, trying to impose their own religion and world-view by force.

But my main point is there is no period in history where colonialism wasn't a thing. Egypt was a colonial power in the bronze age for example.

 

[R_J_K75]

For those that do*, why do you prefer a medieval fantasy milieu for your D&D games? Why do you want castles and kings and thatch roofed villages, knights and towers and chain? Why do you not want firearms or printing presses, trains or airships?

I wouldn't say I necessarily prefer it, it's more that it's what I've played in the most and I think it's been the default milieu from the inception of the game. I have played in more than a few of the non-medieval settings that came out of 1E & 2E. I liked Eberron because it had a higher level of technology even if it was more magical than mechanical. I always portrayed the Realms as having smoke power, airships, and mechanical and engineering inventions, but not going too overboard. Didn't Waterdeep have a printing press; wasn't that how they produced the Daily Trumpet broad sheets?

See this from the FR Wiki

"The Lantanese were said to have stolen the technology of the printing press from Halruaa.[1] This, and the supposed existence of dangerous and powerful weapons on Lantan led to tense diplomatic relations between the two nations.[1][17]"

Lantan

Lantan was an island-nation in the Trackless Sea north of the Chultan peninsula, known for its advanced technology and the population's devout worship of Gond.[3][6] The nation consisted of three separate islands: Lantan itself, which the Sambar Run separated from the southern island known as...

forgottenrealms.fandom.com

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I wouldn't say I necessarily prefer it, it's more that it's what I've played in the most and I think it's been the default milieu from the inception of the game. I have played in more than a few of the non-medieval settings that came out of 1E & 2E. I liked Eberron because it had a higher level of technology even if it was more magical than mechanical. I always portrayed the Realms as having smoke power, airships, and mechanical and engineering inventions, but not going too overboard. Didn't Waterdeep have a printing press; wasn't that how they produced the Daily Trumpet broad sheets?

See this from the FR Wiki

"The Lantanese were said to have stolen the technology of the printing press from Halruaa.[1] This, and the supposed existence of dangerous and powerful weapons on Lantan led to tense diplomatic relations between the two nations.[1][17]"

Lantan

Lantan was an island-nation in the Trackless Sea north of the Chultan peninsula, known for its advanced technology and the population's devout worship of Gond.[3][6] The nation consisted of three separate islands: Lantan itself, which the Sambar Run separated from the southern island known as...

forgottenrealms.fandom.com

The Sword Coast is pseudo-renascence, which is increasingly the standard. There is Cormir if you want to do medieval though.

But most D&D is either pre-medieval or post-medieval.

 

[R_J_K75]

The Sword Coast is pseudo-renascence, which is increasingly the standard. There is Cormir if you want to do medieval though.

But most D&D is either pre-medieval or post-medieval.

The Realms are all over the place when it comes to comparing it to real world time periods. I also think that it has drastically changed from the 1E version to the 5E version

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Realms are all over the place when it comes to comparing it to real world time periods. I also think that it has drastically changed from the 1E version to the 5E version

There wasn’t really much overlap between the FR and 1st edition, and in BG1 (2nd edition) we see cannon, iron railroad tracks, and sewer valves. I would say the Sword Coast has been post-medieval for a very long time.